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Back The Orion Nebula

The Orion Nebula


Depicts: M42, NGC 1976, M43, NGC 1982, The Great Nebula in Orion
Copyright: C.R. O'Dell/Rice University NASA

This is one of the nearest regions of very recent star formation (300,000 years ago). The nebula is a giant gas cloud illuminated by the brightest of the young hot stars at the top of the picture. Many of the fainter young stars are surrounded by disks of dust and gas that are slightly more than twice the diameter of the Solar System.
Last Update: 1 September 2019
23-Jan-2026 14:25 UT

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